RennenFlamme

Hi everyone. I drive a 1990 BMW 325is, great condition and a fairly reliable car. Yes parts cost more than ford or gmc, but they are not terrible and I see myself having the car a long time, slowly upgrading the car yet staying mostly oem in the looks department.

On the other hand, having a German, RWD and turbo ride all in one is sooo alluring.
Missing my old ride, a 2002 WRX and the power that comes quickly with a turbo already in the engine, I feel thay buying a 951 would be an easier way of getting spoolin' thrills than turbocharging my dated m20 engine. Financially, it is also easier to aquire a 951 and get 320 wheel than turbo/clutch/tune the BMW properly. Heres where my question lies.... How much is involved in 951 ownership?

I am a student in college so money is not for picking off trees, but I am willing to drop the money when needed or pre-emptively to keep a CLEAN car clean. My question is this: starting with a CLEAN 951 with less than 100k, should I expect to drop a thousand a month? The BMW is fairly hands-off as long as it is taken care of overall. I can do jobs such as suspension swapping, but have nightmares abotu Porsche engine work, so I'd be going to an independant for lots of it.

My only other concern is the driver's position/cockpit styling compared ot the BMW, Talk to me about reliablity from a clean and documented car, I would wait until I had a couple thousand ready right away for work as well, but would liek to spend that on suspension and at least pads and some reserve than fix whatever breaks in xxx miles.

So tell me a good Porsche can be reliable. Maybe I have heard too many internet sotries? Thanks in advance!

-Marty

streckfu's

Can be reliable? Yes.

Look for the cleanest, lowest milage car you can find/afford preferably with records and have a purchase inspection performed.

But then, I did that and spent several thousand dollars in the first year as maintenance needs were addressed.

However, once taken care of, it was a pretty reliable car.

Bottom line is, as a student, I'd be hard pressed to recommend it as, even doing your own maintenance, there are no promises and issues will come up.

Ski

+1 for what Daniel says, student + 944T is probably not the best combo.

But, if your budget can take it, I'd look for stock car, with records. Sometimes a higher mile car that has had excellent maintenance would be my choice over a low mile, non document car.

Over Boost

Keep the Bimmer. I had the same one as you and miss it dearly. Not saying dont get the P-Car but the E30s are so cheap that its probably worth keeping as you wont get much for it. Plus you can do lots of crazy things with those cars.

streckfu's

Agreed completely.

Renner,
Does anyone live near you that has more experience with the 944s that could help you look at a potential purchase? A pair of experinced eyes could save you the price of a PPI is they can disqualifiy cars for reasons you can't identify.

turboted

A good Porsche can be reliable......if......you maintain it well. Maintenance is not cheap on Porsches in general, much less 20 yr old Porsches. Assuming you start with a car in near-perfect condition, you might get a year or so out of it before it starts draining your wallet (<-- this was my experience). Unless you start upgrading parts and modding like crazy, basic maintenance won't cost you $1k per month...maybe half that much. Having said that, a spirited drive in my 951 always reminds me that it's worth every penny I've spent over the years. If you want to own a 951 and limit the $$ you spend on maintenance, teach yourself how to work on it. There are lots of resources available...especially here on the 'list.

Here is a short list of common issues to look for when buying a 951: water pump, belts/rollers, motor mounts, clutch, head gasket, front seals, CV joints, & oil pan gasket. Don't buy one without service records. You can search here for more info on all of these issues. Good luck.

Airflite40

Well Marty you found this forum, so you must be doing something right.

Lots of rennlisters don't even know the 951/951S forum even exists.

Anyway, what about engine work scares you?? If you can swap suspensions then you can work on an engine. (Torsion bars :barf

General maintenance on a 951 or 944 or a 928 is not that expensive granted that you do all the work yourself.
It gets expensive when you start paying someone else to do the work.

reno808

iam a student with a lil modded 951 not a combo. be expect to have sleepless nights n sometimes living paycheck to paycheck. Its only reliable if your on top of it n its STOCK

SD Porsche Fan

Reliable/Cheap/Fast

Pick any two.

95ONE

The math on this statement is amazing.

2bridges

My perspective differs a bit than some.

I would NOT own a 951 if it was my only transportation. No way, no how. Love my car, but just due to age there are constant minor issues, and periodic major issues. Having to rely on a 20 year old semi-exotic turbo car is not very practical.

there is a repeated cycle the develops => identify problem, order parts, WAIT...... WAIT.... WAIT. Order more parts, WAIT.......WAIT.....WAIT. Until you really have to live this cycle over and over it may not be clear how painful that can be, but as a daily driver it would be unacceptable.

Great cars, just not only primary transportation in my book.

ausgeflippt951

I agree with 2Bridges. Make sure you've got alternate transportation. If you don't, look into buying a motorcycle. Great deals are just around the corner w/ motorcycles, maintenance is dirt cheap, they last practically forever, they're stupid simple, and they get waaayyy better mileage than your bmmmer or a 951. You can use the bike as the DD and the car as the weekend warrior.

dime1622

When I was a student, I was constantly wishing I had a 944 rather than a 951. These cars are not very nice to you if you have a smaller budget.

Blueman33

There are many more reliable cars that can be fun. Not as much fun, but close.

I love my 951, but a blown miata is cheaper to maintain and as much fun as anyone really deserves. They are cheap and reliable and fun.

Even a NA miata is fun as can be and is a pretty cool ride. Even though the power is a bit shy, the throttle response and handling makes it groove.

LFA951

You're in school and need to focus on your studies, this car will not let you focus on anything else, they are a headache to maintain and something always goes bad, maybe it's cause it's 20 years old or cause it's a complex engine, but either way you shouldn't have to worry about it. My advice is get something reliable that will get you to that test on time without breaking down on you. I've spent a fortune on my car the last 2 years, had I'd known it would've been such a liability, I would have bought something new. Too late now, so save your money and when you graduate you'll be able to get a new problem free car without the headaches that come them. Look at the issues with them daily, doesn't that give you a clue?